With week one over in season two of the USFL, we have some interesting things occur. The Maulers are swinging the hammer. The Panthers are getting the Love. We have hammered out the details in week two of the 2023 USFL power rankings.

#8. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (0-1) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

The Gamblers may be the worst football team in the town of Houston. Houston has three football teams in three different leagues.

The Gamblers thought they had a quarterback with the late emergence of Kenji Bahar who had a few starts under his belt last season. Houston fans would rather have Bengi over Kengi looking at his first week performance of the 2023 season.

Bahar only managed 96 yards through the air with three turnovers as Gamblers looked like the worst team in the week in the first game of the season. Bright side is Houston running back, T.J Pledger, had two rushing touchdowns with 41 yards on the ground.

#7. PITTSBURGH MAULERS (0-1) DROPPED ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Maulers looked better than last season as they debuted their new uniforms black and gold colors. Once again, the Maulers offense is MIA as they could not generate any points. The Maulers did score, but the points came from special teams and the defense. The Maulers defense looks legit.

Former number one pick of the San Francisco 49ers, Rueben Foster, played his first football game since 2019 & immediately made an impact on that Maulers defense with 9 tackles and forced a fumble against the Breakers. Defensive lineman Olive Sagapoly had two sacks. If the Maulers can generate any kind of offense, this team could win some close games. Head coach Ray Horton has these Maulers playing better from the eye test than what Kirby Jackson did last year which was junior varsity like.

#6. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (0-1) DROPPED ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Memphis Showboats did show me some good stuff in their first game since the original league in the 1980’s. The Showboats are last year’s Tampa Bay Bandits. One new face that should be talked about is running back Alex Collins who could be one of the best backs in the USFL this season. The former Seahawk and Raven of the NFL showed some nice moves while breaking some tackles and getting some tough yards in his first game for the Showboats.

Collins looks bad ass with long dreadlocks coming out of the helmet with the tinted visor. Collins scored a rushing touchdown and had 14 carries for 61 yards. Memphis quarterback play has potential. The Showboat defense has a wicked pass rush as they can get to the opposing quarterback as they sacked Stars Case Cookus 5 times. The Showboats have potential and could be motor boating all the way to the playoffs.

#5. NEW JERSEY GENERALS (0-1) DROPPED TWO SPOTS FROM LAST WEEK

The Generals start the season again versus the Stallions who were last year’s champions in Birmingham. The story of the game is the Generals coughed up the ball twice and the Stallions cashed in on both turnovers with 14 points. The Generals only mustered up 10 points all in the second quarter. The Generals once again throw out dueling quarterbacks that may not be quite in synch yet as last year it worked well for this team.

Dakota Prukop threw the ball well for the Generals going 13-17 for 146 yards in his first game in the USFL. Then last year duel threat DeAndre Johnson only went 4-13 for 29 yards but had 45 yards using his legs. Generals lost their first game last year & then won 9 straight.

#4. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (1-0) SAME SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Breakers have their own version of Ryan Fitzpatrick and the beard. McLeod-Bethel Thompson back in the states in his first ever game in the USFL, a two time champion in the CFL, leads his new team down the field under two minutes and throws his first touchdown pass. The touchdown pass to Anthony Jones seals the deal for the New Orleans as it breaks the 15-15 tie and gets the Breakers in the win column. Bethel Thompson looked good and may be one of the best quarterbacks in the USFL. The Breakers moved the ball the entire game settling for field goals. Maulers defense played well. You have to believe the field goals will start to turn into more touchdowns. The Breakers defense did not allow any points from the Mauler offense.

#3. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (1-0) MOVED UP 4 SPOTS FROM LAST WEEK

I’m showing the Love for the Panthers who get out of the gate with an impressive victory. You have to love Josh Love who had a career day behind center for the Panthers.

Love completed 90.5% of his passes by completing 19-21 for 216 yards with three touchdown passes. You have to take the hot tub time machine back to the 1980’s when Greg Landry played for the Chicago Blitz.

Love had a better day at the office than Landry as Panthers all around look solid in their first week of the season as they scored the most points over the weekend with 29.

#2. PHILADELPHIA STARS (1-0) SAME SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Stars have the best quarterback in the USFL with Case Cookus. Cookus who had the Stars in last year’s championship but was knocked out of the game with a broken leg. Cookus had the Stars winning that championship game versus the Stallions. After he left, the Stallions ended up prevailing. Cookus is back and healthy and showed us in week one he still has the touch going 20-19 for 212 yards with two touchdown passes in the win over Memphis. Chris Rowland gaining big yards in the return game even caught a touchdown pass from Cookus.

Rowland is one of the elite play makers in the USFL and in due time will be scooped up by an NFL team. The Stars offense is going to be tops in the league. Can the defense catch up? The Stars defense can force turnovers, but teams still can score points off them. We will see if the offense carries this Philadelphia team the entire season.

#1. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (1-0) SAME SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

I have to give the Stallions the number one spot until some team is capable of knocking them off their top perch. The Stallions start out of the gates strong on both sides of the ball. The defense recovered two fumbles in last year’s rematch in the first ever game of the USFL reboot between the Stallions and Generals. Stallions cashed the turnovers in for points. The Birmingham defense only gave up ten points and shut out the Generals in the second half of the game. The Stallions did lose their number one starting quarterback, J’Mar Smith, who will miss the entire season. The Stallions star defender Scooby Wright left the game with an injury but is expected to return. The Stallions did not miss a beat with back up quarterback Alex McGough playing a solid second half.

McGough can use his legs as he is a duel threat quarterback who had a 29 yard rushing touchdown to help the Stallions defend their first title offense. McGough was originally the starter for the Stallions last season until Smith played better. The Stallions just signed Kyle Sloter who played for the Breakers last year and led them to the playoffs. However Sloter went to the XFL, did not play well, and was cut by the Arlington Renegades.